This National Code is concerned with the prevention of injury to persons who work with or around concrete elements in construction work and provides practical guidance on the safe handling of concrete elements. A concrete element means a concrete panel or other precast concrete element, made in either an on-site or off-site casting yard that is cast and then lifted into position to form part of a building.

Concrete elements not included in the scope of this National Code include concrete pipes, bridge beams and culverts. This National Code does not cover any other form of construction work other than building construction.

Although the illustrations and guidance in this document are related to wall panels, some of the guidance in this National Code may be appropriate for precast concrete beams, columns and slabs as indicated in the scope of this National Code.

Precast service cores such as lift shafts and stair cores are also included in the scope of this National Code. The re-use of wall panels is allowed, provided relevant industry building standards requirements are met. Further guidance on the re-use of panels is provided in Appendix B. Guidance on the demolition of concrete elements is provided in Appendix C.

This National Code sets out industry-wide guidelines for establishing and maintaining a safe working environment wherever concrete elements are used in construction work, in order to meet the requirements of the National Standard.

This National Code covers:

Further information on the general design, erection and prefabrication of concrete elements, including tilt up wall panels, can be found in Australian Standards and other documentation referenced in this National Code.

Users of this National Code should be aware that it is based on current knowledge and construction methods within the industry and is not intended to exclude other methods or processes that can also meet the required safety standards.